WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama rolled to re-election Tuesday night, vanquishing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney despite a weak economy that plagued his first term and put a crimp in the middle class dreams of millions. In victory, he confidently promised better days ahead.

Obama spoke to thousands of cheering supporters in his hometown of Chicago, praising Romney and declaring his optimism for the next four years. "While our road has been hard, though our journey has been long, we have picked ourselves up, we have fought our way back and we know in our hearts that for the United States of America, the best is yet to come," he said.

Romney made his own graceful concession speech before a disappointed crowd in Boston. He summoned all Americans to pray for Obama and urged the night's political winners to put partisan bickering aside and "reach across the aisle" to tackle the nation's problems.

Still, after the costliest — and one of the nastiest — campaigns in history, divided government was alive and well.

Democrats retained control of the Senate with surprising ease.

Republicans did the same in the House, ensuring that Speaker John Boehner of Ohio, Obama's partner in unsuccessful deficit talks, would reclaim his seat at the bargaining table.

At Obama headquarters in Chicago, a huge crowd gathered waving small American flags and cheering. Supporters hugged each other, danced and pumped their fists in the air. Excited crowds also gathered in New York's Times Square, at Faneuil Hall in Boston and near the White House in Washington, drivers joyfully honking as they passed by.

With returns from 84 percent of the nation's precincts, Obama had 53.7 million, 49.6 percent of the popular vote. Romney had 53 million, or 48.9 percent.

The president's laserlike focus on the battleground states allowed him to run up a 303-206 margin in the competition for the 270 electoral votes needed to win the White House, the count that mattered most. Remarkably, given the sour economy, he lost only two states that he captured in 2008, Indiana and North Carolina.

Florida, another Obama state four years ago, remained too close to call.

The election emerged as a choice between two very different visions of government — whether it occupies a major, front-row place in American lives or is in the background as a less-obtrusive facilitator for private enterprise and entrepreneurship.

The economy was rated the top issue by about 60 percent of voters surveyed as they left their polling places. But more said former President George W. Bush bore responsibility for current circumstances than Obama did after nearly four years in office.

That boded well for the president, who had worked to turn the election into a choice between his proposals and Romney's, rather than a simple referendum on the economy during his time in the White House.

Unemployment stood at 7.9 percent on Election Day, higher than when he took office. And despite signs of progress, the economy is still struggling after the worst recession in history.

Obama captured Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Virginia, New Hampshire, Colorado and Nevada, seven of the nine states where the rivals and their allies poured nearly $1 billion into dueling television commercials.

Romney won North Carolina among the battleground states.

Florida was too close to call, Obama leading narrowly in a state where there were still long lines of voters at some polling places long after the appointed closing time.

Romney, who grew wealthy in business and ran the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City before entering politics, spoke only briefly to supporters, some of whom wept.

"I so wish that I had been able to fulfill your hopes to lead the country in a different direction," he said. "But the nation chose another leader and so Ann and I join with you to earnestly pray for him and for this great nation."

Moments later, Obama stepped before a far different crowd hundreds of miles away.

"Tonight you voted for action, not politics as usual," he said. He pledged to work with leaders of both parties to help the nation complete its recovery from the worst recession since the Great Depression.

By any description, the list of challenges is daunting - high unemployment, a slow-growth economy, soaring deficits, a national debt at unsustainable. To say nothing of the threat of a nuclear Iran and the menace of al-Qaida and other terrorist groups more than a decade after the attacks of Sept., 11, 2001.

There was no doubt about what drove voters to one candidate or the other.

About 4 in 10 said the economy is on the mend, but more than that said it was stagnant or getting worse more than four years after the near-collapse of 2008. The survey was conducted for The Associated Press and a group of television networks.

In the battle for the Senate, Elizabeth Warren turned Republican Scott Brown out of office in Massachusetts, and Rep. Joe Donnelly captured a seat from GOP hands in Indiana.

Deb Fischer picked up a seat for Republicans in Nebraska, defeating former Sen. Bob Kerrey.

In Maine, independent former Gov. Angus King was elected to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Olympia Snowe. He has not yet said which party he will side with, but Republicans attacked him in television advertising during the race, and Democrats rushed to his cause.

In the presidential race, Obama won in the reliably Democratic Northeast and West Coast. Pennsylvania was his, too, despite two late campaign stops by Romney.

Romney won most of the South as well as much of the Rocky Mountain West and Farm Belt.

The president was in Chicago as he awaited the voters' verdict on his four years in office. He told reporters he had a concession speech as well as victory remarks prepared. He congratulated Romney on a spirited campaign. "I know his supporters are just as engaged, just as enthusiastic and working just as hard today" as Obama's own, he added.

Romney reciprocated, congratulating the man who he had campaigned against for more than a year.

Earlier, he raced to Ohio and Pennsylvania for Election Day campaigning and projected confidence as he flew home to Massachusetts. "We fought to the very end, and I think that's why we'll be successful," he said, adding that he had finished writing a speech anticipating victory but nothing if the election went to his rival.

But the mood soured among the Republican high command as the votes came in and Obama ground out a lead in critical states.

Like Obama, Vice President Joe Biden was in Chicago as he waited to find out if he was in line for a second term. Republican running mate Paul Ryan was with Romney in Boston, although he kept one eye on his re-election campaign for a House seat in Wisconsin, just in case. He won re-election to Congress.

The long campaign's cost soared into the billions, much of it spent on negative ads, some harshly so.

In a months-long general election ad war that cost nearly $1 billion, Romney and Republican groups spent more than $550 million and Obama and his allies $381 million, according to organizations that track advertising.

According to the exit poll, 53 percent of voters said Obama was more in touch with people like them, compared to 43 percent for Romney.

About 60 percent said taxes should be increased, taking sides on an issue that divided the president and Romney. Obama wants to let taxes rise on upper incomes, while Romney does not.

Other than the battlegrounds, big states were virtually ignored in the final months of the campaign. Romney wrote off New York, Illinois and California, while Obama made no attempt to carry Texas, much of the South or the Rocky Mountain region other than Colorado.

There were 33 Senate seats on the ballot, 23 of them defended by Democrats and the rest by Republicans.

Democratic Rep. Chris Murphy, a Democrat, won a Connecticut seat long held by Sen. Joe Lieberman, retiring after a career that included a vice presidential spot on Al Gore's ticket in 2000. It was Republican Linda McMahon's second defeat in two tries, at a personal cost of $92 million.

The GOP needed a gain of three for a majority if Romney won, and four if Obama was re-elected. Neither Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada nor GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky was on the ballot, but each had high stakes in the outcome.

All 435 House seats were on the ballot, including five where one lawmaker ran against another as a result of once-a-decade redistricting to take population shifts into account. Democrats needed to pick up 25 seats to gain the majority they lost two years ago.

House Speaker Boehner, R-Ohio, raised millions to finance get-out-the-vote operations in states without a robust presidential campaign, New York, Illinois and California among them. His goal was to minimize any losses, or possibly even gain ground, no matter Romney's fate. House Democratic leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California campaigned aggressively, as well, and faced an uncertain political future after her party failed to win control.

In gubernatorial races, Republicans picked up North Carolina, where Pat McCrory won easily. The incumbent, Democratic Gov. Bev Purdue, did not seek re-election.

In a campaign that traversed contested Republican primaries last winter and spring, a pair of political conventions this summer and three presidential debates, Obama, Romney, Biden and Ryan spoke at hundreds of rallies, were serenaded by Bruce Springstein and Meat Loaf and washed down hamburgers, pizza, barbecue and burrito bowls.

Obama was elected the first black president in 2008, and four years later, Romney became the first Mormon to appear on a general election ballot. Yet one man's race and the other's religion were never major factors in this year's campaign for the White House, a race dominated from the outset by the economy.

Over and over, Obama said that during his term the nation had begun to recover from the worst recession since the Great Depression. While he conceded progress had been slow, he accused Romney of offering recycled Republican policies that have helped the wealthy and harmed the middle class in the past and would do so again.

Romney countered that a second Obama term could mean a repeat recession in a country where economic growth has been weak and unemployment is worse now than when the president was inaugurated. A wealthy former businessman, he claimed the knowledge and the skills to put in place policies that would make the economy healthy again.

In a race where the two men disagreed often, one of the principal fault lines was over taxes. Obama campaigned for the renewal of income tax cuts set to expire on Dec. 31 at all income levels except above $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples.

Romney said no one's taxes should go up in uncertain economic times. In addition, he proposed a 20 percent cut across the board in income tax rates but said he would end or curtail a variety of tax breaks to make sure federal deficits didn't rise.

The differences over taxes, the economy, Medicare, abortion and more were expressed in intensely negative advertising.

Obama launched first, shortly after Romney dispatched his Republican foes in his quest for the party nomination.

One memorable commercial showed Romney singing an off-key rendition of "America The Beautiful." Pictures and signs scrolled by saying that his companies had shipped jobs to Mexico and China, that Massachusetts state jobs had gone to India while he was governor and that he has personal investments in Switzerland, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands.

Romney spent less on advertising than Obama. A collection of outside groups made up the difference, some of them operating under rules that allowed donors to remain anonymous. Most of the ads were of the attack variety. But the Republican National Committee relied on one that had a far softer touch, and seemed aimed at voters who had been drawn to the excitement caused by Obama's first campaign. It referred to a growing national debt and unemployment, then said, "He tried. You tried. It's OK to make a change."

More than 30 million voters cast early ballots in nearly three dozen states, a reflection of the growing appeal of getting a jump on the traditional Election Day.

Comments

What can you say? Someone reelected obama wasnt me. Glad i got to vote in this election probally wont be another. Your children and my grandchildren will never be able to pay for his first four years. Maybe this time he can spend oh say 50 trillion or maybe more. Lets see what kind of free phones maybe a free house couple free cars he can give away this time.

Ummm - an unprovoked war paid for with a tax cut started the ugly ball rolling. The rte of spending increase actually leveled off the past four years, and would have improved if obstructionism had not gotten in the way. The cell phone plan was Bush's. Better informed voters is what we need the most.

When you get to the executive level, it makes no difference how the ugly ball got rolling. The oval office IS WHERE THE BUCK STOPS. Blaming previous administrations doesn't solve problems, it only creates division.

I don't want to come off sounding facetious in saying this, because I really am trying to figure this out. How could anyone vote for Obama given his track record?

He called George W Bush "unpatriotic" for adding $4.7 Trillion to the debt in eight years, yet Obama has added nearly $6 Trillion in less than half that time.

He has said that his policies will cause energy rates to "necessarily skyrocket."

He said that he would bankrupt the coal industry.

His energy secretary, Steven Chu, has said that America needs to get to European level gas prices (around $8 per gallon).

He has said we are better off when we "spread the wealth around" (this comment assumes wealth belongs to government and is therefore theirs to spread around...the alternative is that wealth belongs to the individual who earned it or to the descendents that individual left their wealth to).

He told business owners that if they had a business they "didn't build that." (try all you want to justify this comment as Obama talking about "bridges and roads," Obama is a smart man and would confuse a simple pronoun-noun agreement such as 'that' bridges and roads. It's not a stretch to understand that the sentence should've been "those bridges and roads."

In the entire time Obama has been in office, the yearly budget deficit has been over $1 Trillion.

There were more people in the work force on the day before Obama was inaugurated than on any day during the Obama administration.

Now, I'll admit that some of my personal feelings crept into some of those points, but I still want to know how you can justify voting for Obama...

The puppet and clown work great for the washington machine. Romney would not have fit in and would have been assassinated shortly after taking over. Soon you will see Joe the clown have a stroke, heart attack, car wreck and have to step down and Hillary will take over as VP. Then she steps back into the whitehouse in 2016.

The 5 stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, then acceptance. Let's get to the last one and move on - the process is over, the people have spoken. Ummmm - distorted the truth much lately FG? Time to step away from Fox and talk radio.

FYI - here's the quote you alluded to in its entirety (very appropriate here, since we the people have just spoken loudly and clearly on this):

If you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. You didn’t get there on your own. I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something. There are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there. If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.

Bless your hearts, now all of a sudden you are a psychiatrist? I was hoping for your sake the multiple personalities / posters were temporary insanity, but is not hard to see your condition of lying is permanent.

My one honest, hard working life makes me more successful and quite frankly more superior - than ALL of your lives, lies and fantasies put together could create.

So you actually believe the most intelligent President of our lifetimes doesn't understand basic noun-pronoun agreement? Or are you just okay with him undercutting small business owners who dedicated much of their lives and wealth to making their business happen, knowing all the while that it could still fail. I worked for a small business for years. I watch business come and go until the owner had to close up shop. He built the business from the ground up, moving from his house to a bigger location once he had the money to do so. He went out and found customers for his services. I would say he built that. He didn't rely on anyone else to make his business work other than himself and his employees.

I understand what he said quite well - no misunderstanding there whatsoever, and this in fact epitomizes how America works, and (hint) how it works much better when we work together. Quite hard NOT to disagree with it (unless you speaky English?) - one more time:

If you’ve been successful, you didn’t get there on your own. You didn’t get there on your own. I’m always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something. There are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there. If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you’ve got a business — you didn’t build that. Somebody else made that happen.

President Obama had to work against a republican party that resisted any real economic reform. On numerous occasions, republicans were heard saying that their number one objective was to prevent President Obama from getting a second term and their process of obstructing economic reform proved that almost all Republicans joined in that effort. Hopefully this romp by President Obama will get the House back on its proper task of working for all Americans and not just for their own self interest.

Real economic reform? That clown-in-chief wants to spend us into a European socialist tail spin. Thank God the House is still a thumb in the dyke to forstall the destruction of our Republic until productive, hard-working, true Americans wake up.

If you set a room on fire and leave that room, the fault for the fire doesn't suddenly belong to the next guy that walks in.

And if Obama started creating mass amounts of jobs people would lose their minds for him expanding government. The employment rate is not his responsibility, nor has it ever been for any president.

If you're bent out of shape about jobs not appearing as fast as you'd like, you should take your concerns up with every company that opts to go the cheap route and outsource their labor to other countries.

About those percentage increases: If I increase my spending from $100 to $200, that is a 100% raise in spending. If I then increase that from $200 to $350, that is only a 75% raise in spending, however, I still spent more money.

If they are true Americans (report income, dont lie about the number of children they have and pay tax like i do from my payroll. No cash under the table. Then Sue you are right they come in all colors but they arent the ones getting the free stuff we are paying for. Make a drug test a requirement for welfare and food stamps and everyone starts raising hell. What gives. If i were hungary and need shelter i would take 3 test a day. The job i have give me 7 random drug screens in 2011 to keep my job. These are the freeloaders that are draging this country into poverty.

My point was to comment on Miss Daisy's statement that the GOP controlled House was our saviour until "hard working Americans wake up". It implies that hard working Americans wouldn't vote for a Democrat.

Perhaps when the GOP returns to thier original principles, realizes this country is diverse and quits trying to legislate from a christian church pew, they will have a member elected to the highest office.

American are just plain stupid. Four years ago we elected this guy who didn't have enough experience to manage a Radio Shack at the mall. Now after four years of making things worse, like the economy people, we elect him again. Obviously you people can't think for yourselves. Just because Oprah and Letterman have them on their shows doesn't mean you should vote for him. Oprah and Letterman have nothing in common with you, Why do you let these influence you. Oh yeah back to the beginning. Americans are just plain stupid.

You're probably correct stating Obama's couldn't manage a RS. Probably because his background is in law rather than retail. However, I'd gladly pay to see you and the president debate a variety of subjects so we can confirm who exactly is the stupid one.

How arrogant. You think 60% of the country vote differently from you because of influence from Oprah or Letterman? We're stupid becasue we didn't vote the way you did? I'll go your route and say the other 40% were influence by Fox, Rush, CBN and Hannity and too stupid to think for themselves.

I'll repeat: When the GOP returns to their original principles, realizes this country is diverse and quits trying to legislate from a christian church pew, they will have a member elected to the highest office

btw, Radio Shack's location strategy shifted from primarily mall locations to large strip centers back the 90's due to increases in rental rates, poorer visiblity/foot traffic and a lack of control over store hours. But I guess since you're so smart, you forgot.

The truth hurts, doesn't it? Anyone that voted for Obama on Tuesday did so because they want to be believe the fantasy of it's all the Republican's fault and Obama God can fix everything for me. What President in modern history has been elected under such horrific conditions?

The majority in this country are under the socialism spell. They want to be able to press the Easy button and that is exactly what they did on Tuesday!

Your ilk can vote for socialism until the cows come home, but your standard of living will continue to deteriorate. The rich may become poorer, but the poor will be even lower than they are now. I would love to have data on political affiliation as it relates to being politically informed, intellect, careers, and wealth. Bets are the hard data would blow your theories away like a nuclear bomb.

But hey, you'd still be worshipping the likes of Obama and would still vote straight ticket D. It's Your Way, or the Highway. Democrats are entitlement junkies looking for their next feel good fix.

How sad that you have been working your life away at Radio Shack. Your arrogance is the reason I refuse to shop at the dump.

Did it occur to you that many voters went with Obama because they felt HE was the lesser of two evils. Perhaps they didn't believe in Romney because he spoke one way during the primaries, then another after the nom, then another right before the election. Maybe they feel the GOP has moved so far to the right that social issues important to them would be in jeopardy. How about they just didn't feel like he was in tune with the average American or just didn't like the guy? Why does it have to be those that voted for Obama are all ignorant lazy socialists looking for a free ride? I'm sure you don't want to be labled a mindless throwback from the 50's that gets his opinions from Fox and supports the church in your bedroom and a return to back alley abortions?

I'm sick of the division in DC and with the American people. The "I'm right, you're wrong, there's no middle ground" stance. It won't get anything done. Your comment about data relating to policial affliation is an example. Your tone suggest politically informed, intelligent, successful, weathy, individuals can only be those that are affiated with the GOP. You continue with the "worshipping Obama" b.s. and assume I've voted straight ticket D all my life. I've never asked for a hand out from the government in my life. I believe in many GOP values, just not the current GOP. I mean good God, you guys were considering the likes of Santorum, Bachman, Perry, and Trump(!) before realizing Romney was the best of the bunch. Now he's suddenly the saviour of the country that's going to save us from the evil Obama! It's the GOP's fault they lost this election.

And speaking of arrogant...a career in retail is sad? Too good for it, are ya? Don't feel bad for me. The RS comment was snark. Before becoming an AMT at Delta in 2000 (think of me next time you hop on a bird) I was a commercial real estate apprasier and remember the shift. It was sarcasm for my own personal enjoyment.

I mean good God, you guys were considering the likes of Santorum, Bachman, Perry, and Trump(!) before realizing Romney was the best of the bunch. Now he's suddenly the saviour of the country that's going to save us from the evil Obama! It's the GOP's fault they lost this election.

You just trashed 5 Republicans over 1 Democrat, who has a failed at his 4 years of on the job training. And you hired him again?

Cleanupguy - Just for the record, I don't solely watch Fox. I will watch it on occasion, and I'll also watch CNN and the networks. The only TV news I can't watch is MSNBC...it's just too annoying. Nor do I listen to talk radio. When researching information, I check several sources around the internet, tv, and newspapers. The items I listed above, that you claimed were "distor[ing] the truth," are easily located facts. Or do you believe that facts only back up Obama and anything else is lies?

But okay, I'll play along. How is it distorting the truth to say Obama called Bush 'unpatriotic?'(do a simple youtube search and you'll find the video)

How is it a distortion of the truth to say that Obama once said his policies would cause energy rates to skyrocket and would bankrupt the coal industry? (again, a simple youtube search of "obama energy rates skyrocket" will turn up the video evidence)

How is it a distortion of truth to say that Steven Chu said America needed European level gas prices? (exact quote: "Somehow, we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels of Europe." http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0212/73138.html)

Obama asked the American people to vote for revenge. Romney asked them to vote for love of country. Apparently, over half the country is more interested in revenge. But revenge against whom? or what? Can any Obama supporter tell me?

I am amazed that people like Rush Limbaugh can spread hatred on a daily basis and make millions from it....on the other hand, I see mostly the same people here day after day doing the same thing for free. And people wonder what's wrong with our country.

Why_not - I hear statements like your quite often. I'm assuming you mean that anyone who disagrees with the liberal perspective is guilty of "hatred." I told a friend of mine in 2008 that anyone who spoke out against Obama or his policies would be labeled 'racist.' He said I was 'overly paranoid.' About a month before the election this year he called me and, during our conversation, I brought up what i said to him in 2008. He said I was right. He sees it too. He's actually on a college campus in North Carolina, and he told me about the arguments people have had there. Any mention of opposition to Obama was automatically decried as racism.

Of course, the Democrats had the double whammy in 2008. If Hillary had won the nomination, any speaking out against her would've been labeled as 'sexist.'

But back to the original point. It's possible to oppose a President's policies and not be a 'hater.' I oppose Barack Obama. I opposed George Bush, as well. Both of them have shown absolutely zero restraint when it comes to federal spending and growing the size and scope of government. But when I speak out that opposition I get comments like yours, or like the one from Say_that_again below. Apparently I can't even disagree with Barack Obama because he's black and I'm white. Frankly, I wouldn't care if he was light green with neon orange polka dots. I see a President whose policies are not helpful to a Representative Republic based on free market capitalism. I see a President who supports centrally planned economies. Go over to Europe and ask them how centrally planned economies work?

Harry Reid said yesterday that the government simply needs 'more revenue.' No. Revenue is not the problem. The problem is we have a government who spends far more than it takes in, and somehow thinks that simply raising taxes on a small percentage of the population will fix that problem.

We will always have political disagreements.....that's the nature of our political system and it is healthy but when the disagreements evolve into the name-calling and outright hated, nothing is being accomplished. The people have spoken and we have our president for the next four years. We dont have to agree and we will seldom do so, but I think for the good of our country, we can have discussions and leave the nasty comments out of it. I would not have been happy if Romney had won, but he would have been my president at that point......and I would wish him the best for the sake of our country.

The sheer amount of "Bush Bashing" that came from the left (including the media) while he was in office, and which still occurs at the mention of his name or opposition to Obama, indicates to me that you are very small minority.

President Johnson said that passing the civil rights bill would cause the South to go Republican for 100 years. Its been 50 and so far he has been proven right. While you are technically correct, the sentiments of the Confederacy have not died and we have significant signs of racial politics. It has already been documented that precincts that were predominately Hispanic and African American in states with Republican Governors had much longer wait times to vote. Either these areas have more understanding of patriotic duty, hence more American, or Republicans made an active attempt to make voting more difficult in these areas. Another strange fact: Democrats in the House received more total votes than Republicans, garnering 50.6% of the votes compared to on 47.6% for the Republican in the races with opposition. When I did the calculation, some precincts had not counted all votes so this could change by a few tenths after all counts are in. If we had a true representative democracy, the Democrats would have a majority in the House.

Be glad we don't have a "true representative democracy." If we were a true democracy, then the majority could enofrce their will, without any hope of opposition,on the minority. A 'true democracy' is two wolves and a sheep deciding what's for dinner.

Thank you for pointing that out. I should have said a true constitutional representative democracy. It is unfortunate that many think we should have Taliban type rules prohibiting abortions, birth control, gay marriage and other things that their warped interpretation of the Bible would ban. When the Republican platform includes things like these, they have demonstrated a belief that they can force their will onto others.

It is "worst", not "worse", you product and contributor of government schools! Grand experiments in socialism have been a resounding success haven't they? LOL@YOU!

Don't worry about job losses and rising medical costs for Obamacare. There will be sufficient job shortages to more than make up for it.

Don't worry about raising taxes on the profits of businesses or wealthy individuals. Your job won't depend on it seeing as how you won't have one.

Gay marriage? Most people really don't care one way or another. If you want to go marry your boyfriend, go find a state that sanctions it, and knock yourself out.

We all compromise on that which we can consciously compromise on. With that being said, no amount of legislative morality is going to change that. Of all the people that have little cause to dictate morality, it is the Congress and the President of The United States of America.

Republicans have to change everything, they (Dems) have to change nothing. Our country was built on conservative values and ideals, but America has deteriorated as the liberals continue to get their way. Basically they are demanding that Republicans ditch everything that is going to help this country to succeeding, and go towards a Democrat / Liberal / Socialist dictatorship. They don't even really want a third party, their want everything their way!

It is sickening to think that those that voted for Obama, yet again, couldn't care less about the success of our country. The voted for a man that hates the rich and success, and just wants to keep shipping in people from 3rd world countries to keep socialist programs alive. To a liberal, gay marriage is more important than having the worst President since the great depression. Abortion and woman's birth control demands are more important than the rest of the World cheering on our fall from greatness. Paying for Jan's healthcare is more important than me saving money to ensure I retire comfortably or my kid get help with education costs.

It's their way or the highway. That is the truth. The liberals are the ones living and perpuating the lies. The sad thing is they will get their way and their lives will never improve to what they think they have the rights to.

From the Huffington Post: As of Noon on Friday, with nearly all votes in, Obama assuredly will win the popular vote, leading Romney by a count of 61,173,739 or 50.5% to 58,167,260 or 48.0%. At this point, a few final votes are being counted and then all that's left is for the results to be officially certified.)

Obama: 61,173,739 or 50.5%
Romney: 58,167,260 or 48.0%

The liberal mindset: Republicans need to reinvent themselves and change completely, and the Democrats don't need to compromise on one single issue.

God doesn't always give us want we want. God has a lesson in this for all us, especially the left. The left worships a false God in Obama. Lets leave God out of anything to do with the liberals and replace it with the wrath that karma has in store for them.

As a follower of Christ, I am grateful for the opportunity to share my faith with others. It is refreshing to sit down with someone and show them the scriptures and teach them about the faith, discipleship, the cross, repentance, baptism, and obedience to God's word. When someone chooses to obey and set aside a life of sin, I feel joy in knowing that God used me to deliver his message of truth. As an Obama supporter, I am happy to say that teaching the truth of Jesus to others and then giving the opportunity to choose to love God is my job, not the government's. I don't agree with every social choice our President has made, but I also know that the spiritual choices are to be decided by the individual, not by the masses. If God wanted it otherwise, mankind would never have made it out of Eden. I pray that all of us who are opposed to abortion and homesexuality and lying and cheating and....will take a stand by reaching out to our neighbor, no matter the culture or nationality or religion, share a meal with them, and show them the compassion and love of Christ. Then, I pray we will open our Bibles and show them the word of God and pray with everything we have that they make the choice we made to believe in the Lord our God and to serve Him only.

When you use your religion as an excuse for discrimination and a way to control others, it demeans it and the philosophy of Jesus Christ. Some people need religion to keep them from lying and cheating. Others seem to think that their religion will forgive them, therefore its okay to lie and cheat. I prefer the philosophy that lying and cheating are wrong, therefore decent human beings should not do them. Every major religion has something similar to the golden rule and yet seem to believe that you have the right to impose your religious beliefs on others and that others do not have a similar right if they disagree with you. Your religion supported bigamy and, even worse in my opinion, having slaves and concubines. Fortunately it evolved from these abhorrent ideas. But how can you condemn homosexuals when your religion ever approved of such activity? The bible says "thou shalt not kill" and yet most of your anti abortion people support war and the death penalty. Such inconsistency demonstrates a lack of understanding.